Wrap for nursing mothers

ABSTRACT

A garment for use by lactating mammals, the garment comprising a body capable of providing heat therapy or cold therapy and one or more straps connected to the body such that the straps are capable of holding the body in place on a user&#39;s breasts, udder, or dugs. The garment may allow hands-free application of heat therapy and/or cold therapy to the user&#39;s breasts. The garment may have openings capable of holding breast pump flanges, allowing the garment to be worn while using a breast pump. The fit of the garment  1  may be customizable for the comfort of the user. The garment  1  may be large enough to cover the entirety of both of the user&#39;s breast simultaneously and may conform to the user&#39;s breasts. The use of the extenders  10  may allow the garment  1  to provide compression to decrease milk supply when desired.

CROSS REFERENCE

This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/859,913 filed Jun. 11, 2019.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a wrap for nursing mothers, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a garment for wear by lactating females that provides heating, cooling, breast pump access, and optional compression.

Description of the Related Art

Heat therapy and cold therapy are commonly used by women who are breastfeeding to address a variety of issues. Heat therapy is useful to increase letdown, reduce soreness, and treat mastitis, clogged ducts, and engorgement. Cold therapy is useful to reduce soreness and inflammation. Breastfeeding mothers often use common devices for heat and cold therapy, such as heating pads, ice packs, or washcloths soaked in hot or cold water. There are products available specifically for use on the breasts, but these products are typically either small enough to fit within a bra and thus are too small to cover the entire breast or are large enough to cover the breast but must be held in place by hand.

Based on the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a garment that can be worn by a breastfeeding woman and that provides either heat or cold therapy.

It is further desirable for the garment to be sufficiently large to cover the entire breast.

It is further desirable for the garment to be contoured to conform to the shape of the breasts.

It is further desirable for the garment to include an opening at the nipple to allow the garment to be worn during pumping, allowing the garment to support the pump flanges and provide heat therapy while pumping to increase milk production.

It is further desirable for the garment to provide optional compression for use when a decrease in milk supply is desired.

It is further desirable for an alternate design of the garment for use by other lactating mammals.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a garment for use by lactating mammals, the garment comprising: a body, where the body is capable of providing heat therapy or cold therapy; and one or more straps connected to the body such that the straps are capable of holding the body in place on a user's breasts, udder, or dugs. The body may be sufficiently large to cover all parts of the user's breast, udder, or dugs and may be flexible and capable of conforming to the user's breasts, udder, or dugs.

The body may have two layers forming at least one closed compartment therebetween, the garment further comprising one or more heating and/or cooling elements located within the at least one closed compartment. The heating and/or cooling elements may be capable of being heated and retaining their heat for a period of time, being cooled and retaining their cool for a period of time, and being re-heated and re-cooled for repeated use.

The garment may further comprise a plurality of openings in the body located such that the openings are located at the user's nipples or teats during wear. The openings may comprise a vertical slot and an intersecting horizontal slot, or the openings may be circular. The openings may be sufficiently large to accommodate a tunnel of a breast pump flange but small enough not to allow passage of a base of the breast pump flange therethrough.

The one or more straps may be elastic or other material. The straps may be permanently or removably attached to a first side of the body and temporarily attached to a second side of the body. The straps may attach to the body via hook and loop material. The one or more straps may be any number of straps; for example, the one or more straps may be three straps. Each of the straps may be capable of being secured to the body independently of the other straps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of the garment when not in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the back of the garment when not in use;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the garment in use;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the garment in use;

FIG. 5 is an opposite side view of the garment in use;

FIG. 6 is a back view of the garment in use;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the garment in use with a pump flange and bottle in place;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the garment in use with the optional compression extenders in place;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the garment in use with the optional compression extenders in place; and

FIG. 10 is an opposite side view of the garment in use with the optional compression extenders in place.

Other advantages and features will be apparent from the following description and from the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The devices and methods discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific manners in which to make and use this invention and are not to be interpreted as limiting in scope.

While the devices and methods have been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be noted that many modifications may be made in the details of the construction and the arrangement of the devices and components without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It is understood that the devices and methods are not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification.

In general, in a first aspect, the invention relates to a garment 1 for use by a lactating female. The garment 1 may comprise a body 2 and one or more straps 3.

The body 2 may be generally rectangular, as shown, or any other desired shape. The body 2 may be flexible and conformable to the user's torso. The body 2 may be large enough to cover a woman's entire breast area during wear. The body 2 may be made of fabric or any other desired material and may have two layers, forming at least one closed compartment 4 therebetween. The body 2 may be quilted, forming a plurality of closed compartments 4. The compartments 4 may contain one or more heating and/or cooling elements. The heating and/or cooling elements may be any heat-retaining material, such as corn, beans, rice, beads, gel, or any other material that is capable of allowing for appropriate heating and/or cooling. The heating and/or cooling elements may be capable of being microwaved or otherwise heated, and thereafter retain their heat for a period of time. The heating and/or cooling elements may also be capable of being frozen or otherwise cooled, and thereafter retain their cool for a period of time. The heating and/or cooling elements may be capable of repeated use. The heating and/or cooling elements may optionally be removable from the body 2.

The body 2 may have two openings 5 therein located approximately at the user's nipples during wear. The openings 5 may each comprise a vertical slot 6 and an intersecting horizontal slot 7, as shown. Alternately, the openings 5 may be X-shaped, circular, or any other desired shape. The openings 5 may be sufficiently large to accommodate the tunnel of a breast pump flange 8, with the base of the flange 8 worn inside the garment 1 against the user's breast and the tunnel of the flange 8 extending outside the garment 1. This may allow for connection of the flange 8 to a breast pump, while the base of the flange 8 is retained snugly against the breast.

The straps 3 may be elongate and may be made of elastic, fabric, any other desired material, or any combination thereof. The straps 3 may connect to one side of the body 2 and may be sufficiently long to extend around the user's torso and attach to the other side of the body 2 of the garment 1, retaining the body 2 of the garment 1 in place against the user's chest. The straps 3 may attach to the body 2 via hook and loop material 9, hooks, buttons, snaps, any other desired connection device, or any combination thereof. The straps 3 may optionally be adjustable to variable length as needed by the user. The straps 3 may be present in any desired quantity. For example, the garment 1 may have three straps 3, as shown, allowing each strap 3 to be secured independently to the body 2 for a customized fit.

The garment 1 may optionally additionally include shoulder straps and/or neck straps. The garment 1 may optionally additionally include a slip cover to help with sanitary aspects and allow for easier clean up.

The garment 1 may further comprise one or more extenders 10 for use when a decrease in the user's milk supply is desired. The extenders 10 may be made of elastic or any other desired material. The extenders 10 may connect to the straps 3 and/or the body 2 via hook and loop material 9, hooks, buttons, snaps, any other desired connection device, or any combination thereof. Optionally, the extenders 10 may not be separate from the straps 3, but rather the straps 3 and extenders 10 may each be a single piece, integrally formed. The extenders 10 may wrap around the garment 1 to provide compression to the user's breasts, which may help decrease the user's milk supply.

The garment 1 allows hands-free application of heat therapy and/or cold therapy to the user's breasts. The garment 1 may be worn while using a breast pump, possibly increasing milk production. The garment 1 may also provide hands-free retention of the breast pump flanges while pumping. The fit of the garment 1 may be customizable for the comfort of the user. The garment 1 may be large enough to cover the entirety of both of the user's breasts simultaneously and may conform to the user's breasts. The use of the extenders 10 may allow the garment 1 to provide compression to decrease milk supply.

The garment 1 may be sized and shaped for use by any mammal. The garment 1 may provide the same features and advantages to mammals other than humans. When used with mammals other than humans, the garments 1 may incorporate leather, rope, or any other desired material in place of elastic and may incorporate buckles, snaps, hooks, or any other desired attachment device in place of hook and loop material.

Whereas, the devices and methods have been described in relation to the drawings and claims, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A garment for use by lactating mammals, the garment comprising: a body, where the body is capable of providing heat therapy or cold therapy; and one or more straps connected to the body such that the straps are capable of holding the body in place on a user's breasts, udder, or dugs.
 2. The garment of claim 1 where the body is sufficiently large to cover all parts of the user's breast, udder, or dugs.
 3. The garment of claim 1 where the body is flexible and capable of conforming to the user's breasts, udder, or dugs.
 4. The garment of claim 1 where the body has two layers forming at least one closed compartment therebetween, the garment further comprising one or more heating and/or cooling elements located within the at least one closed compartment.
 5. The garment of claim 4 where the heating and/or cooling elements are capable of: being heated and retaining their heat for a period of time; being cooled and retaining their cool for a period of time; and being re-heated and re-cooled for repeated use.
 6. The garment of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of openings in the body located such that the openings are located at the user's nipples or teats during wear.
 7. The garment of claim 6 where the openings comprise a vertical slot and an intersecting horizontal slot.
 8. The garment of claim 6 where the openings are circular.
 9. The garment of claim 6 where the openings are sufficiently large to accommodate a tunnel of a breast pump flange but small enough not to allow passage of a base of the breast pump flange therethrough.
 10. The garment of claim 1 where the one or more straps comprise elastic.
 11. The garment of claim 1 where the one or more straps are permanently attached to a first side of the body and temporarily attached to a second side of the body.
 12. The garment of claim 1 where the one or more straps are removably attached to a first side of the body and removably attached to a second side of the body.
 13. The garment of claim 1 where the one or more straps attach to the body via hook and loop material.
 14. The garment of claim 1 where the one or more straps are three straps, where each of the three straps is capable of being secured to the body independently of the other straps.
 15. The garment of claim 1 further comprising one or more extenders, where the extenders are capable of extending the one or more straps and stretching across the body to provide compression to the user's breasts, udder, or dugs during wear. 